-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Korea is one of the world 's most mysterious and secretive states , regarded as a political pariah and at bitter loggerheads with its neighbor South Korea .

Few people are allowed past its tightly-sealed borders but footballer Ryang Yong-Gi , who was born and raised in Japan by a loyally North Korean family , is in a privileged position when it comes to entering and exiting .

The 31-year-old is captain of top Japanese club Vegalta Sendai , and also plays for the national side of North Korea -- which in the past has faced allegations of mistreatment of its sports teams after major events .

`` My number one hope is for North and South Korea to become united , '' he told CNN 's Human to Hero series .

`` I think it will contribute to the development of the country in many ways . I think it will open up new possibilities beyond soccer and sports . ''

A hero to football fans in both Japan and North Korea , Ryang symbolizes the unique power of sport to break down boundaries despite deep-seated differences .

He does not talk about politics with his North Korean teammates -- `` They ask me about cars or soccer magazines I have with me '' -- but his own views have been shaped by his upbringing , in which he had to gain acceptance in two very different societies .

The Korean community in Japan has an uneasy relationship , at best , with the indigenous population , amid a perpetual state of mistrust on both sides .

Ongoing tensions over disputed territory -- a small group of islands situated between Japan and the Korean peninsula -- has ratcheted up the political rhetoric and fueled prejudices .

But not only has Ryang won respect for his footballing feats , helping his team from J-League division two also-rans to top-flight championship contenders , he has also achieved cult status , regardless of his background .

`` I think 90 % of the Vegalta 's supporters do n't care about whether he is North Korean or Japanese , '' local businessman Shuichi Kanno , a loyal club fan , told CNN .

Legendary player

`` We feel he loves the team . He is a legend and his story should be remembered , even after he retires , '' he added .

Ryang , who has been with the club since 2004 , admitted he was initially apprehensive about the reaction of fans .

`` I wondered if people would cheer me , a North Korean , but once I was on the team and started playing , I felt l like I was being supported a lot , '' he said .

`` The fans love this team , their local team , and they support me as a part of the team , maybe even more so than to other members . ''

Watch : Chasing North Korea 's football team

Born in 1982 , Ryang grew up in the city of Osaka with Korean parents , who are second generation immigrants to Japan .

Japan occupied the Korean peninsula from 1905 to 1945 . Well over half a million Koreans who came to Japan during that troubled period stayed after World War II ended , including Ryang 's grandfather .

The subsequent Korean War led to two bitterly divided states in the North and South , and Korean immigrants left in Japan also split into separate communities .

Strict loyalty

One of the consequences was special North Korean schools , where the DPRK 's flag could be seen flying in the playground , with portraits of leaders such as Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on the classroom walls .

Strict loyalty to that regime is engendered , and that is the education that Ryang received up until high school when , thanks to his sporting and academic achievements , he entered the mainstream Japanese university system .

But the limited range of sporting opportunities in his early schooling also played an inadvertent role in his subsequent professional career .

`` My father introduced me to football when I was two or three years old , '' he recalled .

`` Then I went to North Korean schools where only football was available , and myself and other students would play from morning to night -- so in that sense , I think I was blessed . ''

Ryang was also blessed with a formidable talent and , on leaving education in 2003 found his place in the Vegalta Sendai squad , then playing in the J-League second division .

It was not long before international recognition arrived -- though not for Japan -LRB- `` I have never thought about it '' -RRB- but through his upbringing and family ties , for North Korea .

Representing his country in Macao , Ryang scored in a 2-0 win over South Korea in the semifinals of the East Asia Games .

Winning acceptance

He admits his enthusiasm to impress , to win acceptance as an `` outsider '' got the better of him as he charged around the pitch in his midfield role .

`` I played in a reckless manner . I felt the need to impress so they would invite me again to play in the national team . ''

Ryang did impress enough to secure further call-ups , one of a small cadre of Japan-based players with a similar background , who represent North Korea .

He was top scorer as North Korea won the 2010 AFC Asian Challenge Cup , and also took part in a successful qualification campaign for that year 's 2010 World Cup finals .

But it is in club football in the highly competitive J-League where he has made the biggest impression , with Vegalta emerging as challengers for the first division title in recent seasons .

Ryang has been an ever present and key member of the side , but it was the shattering events of March 11 , 2011 -- when an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan -- which firmly cemented him as a fan favorite .

Sendai was near the epicenter of the quake and Ryang was out driving when it hit . `` I thought my tires had gone flat or I had driven over the curb , but the shaking continued and I saw the windows of shops shaking too , '' he recalled .

`` I knew it was a bad one and rushed home to see my wife . ''

Earthquake disaster

Ryang and his heavily pregnant wife spent the night sleeping in their car , fearful of further damage to buildings in an urban landscape that suffered severe wreckage .

In the aftermath of the disaster , Ryang and his teammates made frequent visits to affected areas to lend support .

The performances of the team also boosted morale , eventually finishing fourth in the J-League with Ryang providing inspiring captaincy ,

Kanno , a restaurant owner in the coastal town of Kesennuma which was heavily hit by the tsunami , said Ryang and his teammates made all the difference in those terrible times for the area .

`` During the tsunami year , Vegalta and his play gave us an energy , whether they won or lost , '' Kanno said .

`` We are so grateful that he led the team to fourth in the league that year .

`` We also would like to thank him that he has stayed with our team despite getting good offers from other teams -LRB- in the J-League -RRB- . ''

Ryang 's international career has involved intermittent trips to Pyongyang , the capital of North Korea , where he joins up with the domestic based players .

It is seen as one of the most secretive setups in world soccer , due to the DPRK government 's isolationist policies .

Affluent lifestyle

However , aside from their interest in the trappings of the affluent lifestyle in Japan , Ryang said his teammates were well acquainted with the action from major football leagues such as the English Premier League and Spain 's La Liga .

`` Their in-depth knowledge of famous players demonstrates to me that they do watch a lot of soccer on television , '' he revealed .

So when North Korea qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa , drawn to play mighty Brazil in the first group match , it 's safe to say they would have known all about Kaka and Robinho and their teammates .

Ryang missed out on selection for the tournament , though he trained with the squad as cover . Despite his personal disappointment , he describes North Korea 's narrow 2-1 defeat by the five-time world champion Brazil team as his `` most memorable match , a moving experience . ''

That match was a high point -- but North Korea 's World Cup ended in embarrassment , losing 7-0 to Portugal and then 3-0 to the Ivory Coast .

The squad and head coach Kim Jong Hun were reportedly publicly humiliated by government officials on their return home , though in August 2010 soccer 's world governing body halted its investigation into the claims after failing to find enough evidence .

In a statement on its official website , FIFA described the allegations as `` baseless . ''

Role models

Ryang had starred in North Korea 's lifting of the AFC Asian Challenge Cup in the World Cup year , contributing goals from midfield -LRB- `` every goal felt amazing '' -RRB- and also helped the team retain the trophy last year .

2012 was also to prove his most successful season at club level , with Vegalta Sendai finishing second in the league , beaten to the title by Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the closing stages of the season .

Despite being in the autumn of his career , Ryang has entertained no thoughts of retiring and retains a real love for his sport .

`` Soccer is part of my life , and it 's also my job and I never get tired of it , '' he said .

His role models are players such as Andres Iniesta of Barcelona and former Serbian great Dragan Stojkovic -- both attacking midfielders in his mold .

Ryang admits that Stojkovic , who is now manager of J-League side Nagoya Grampus , was his hero from boyhood days : `` I 've always admired him . ''

Like Stojkovic , Ryang has assumed a captaincy role with his club and takes his responsibilities incredibly seriously .

`` I need to have a strong presence in the team , and I also need to be trusted by other players , '' is his philosophy on leadership .

`` I make sure that I run the most , try to stay in the game all the time and make a big effort to change the outcome . ''

He might be a dogged hard worker on the pitch , but off it he does indulge in a passion he shares with many football stars .

`` I love cars . I do not have any favorite model , but when I am allowed to test drive one , I love it instantly and end up buying it , '' he says .

`` As I am not a player blessed with speed , I tend to drive a fast car . Everyone tells me I drive fast and rough . ''

CNN 's Chie Kobayashi contributed to this article .

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Ryang Yong-Gi is a Japan-born footballer who represents North Korea

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The 31-year-old plays for J-League side Vegalta Sendai

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He led the team to second place in standings last season

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He also aided relief efforts after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan